Commenting on David Cameron's speech on housing today, which included a pledge to build 200,000 discounted 'starter homes' for first-time buyers, Gavin Smart, interim chief executive at the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “We’re currently building less than half the number of new homes we need – the result is a housing crisis in which millions of people are being priced out of a decent home.

Commenting on the Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin for July-September 2014, released today, Nicola McCrudden, Chartered Institute of Housing director for Northern Ireland said “The statistics show there are two very different sides to our housing market. On the one hand we are seeing sustained growth in the number of house sales, but at the same time we are witnessing a substantial increase in homelessness.

Commenting on the English Housing Survey headline report 2013-14, published today, Gavin Smart, interim chief executive at the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “The English Housing Survey is a stark demonstration of our national housing crisis. It’s clear that the cost of housing is affecting people all over the country – in particular younger generations and people living in London.

Commenting on the house-building figures for England for October to December 2014, released today, Gavin Smart, interim chief executive at the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “While it’s encouraging to see an eight per cent increase in the number of homes built last year compared to 2013, completions remain 36 per cent below their March quarter 2007 peak.

An independent housing regulator should be established in Northern Ireland according to the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). A recent poll shows the majority of CIH members in Northern Ireland are in favour of the move.

Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Northern Ireland director Nicola McCrudden said: "We are very disappointed that the University of Ulster has decided, without consultation, to discontinue the Housing Management degree.

Commenting on Deputy First Minister John Swinney’s announcement today that the Scottish Budget will include an extra £20 million investment in energy efficiency (providing a total budget of £114 million), David Ogilvie, head of policy and public affairs at CIH Scotland, said: "We welcome this extra funding for energy efficiency and the recognition that a warm, safe home should not be the privilege of a few but the normal standard of healthy living across Scotland.

Commenting on David Cameron’s announcement that a Conservative government would lower the benefit cap and remove housing benefit from 18 to 21-year-olds on Jobseeker’s Allowance, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: "We have serious concerns about both of these proposals.

Migrants living or looking for a home in the private rented sector will be able to get advice on their housing rights from an expanded website.
The website – www.housing-rights.info – is run by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and BMENational, the body that represents BME housing associations.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) is proposing to bring back Fellowship – its highest grade of membership – after feedback from members. The proposal is included in the organisation’s corporate plan for 2015-17, which is being launched today

Nicola McCrudden Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) director for Northern Ireland, said: "We remain hopeful that local politicians will take sensible steps to avoid the impact of the bedroom tax here. It has been clear for some time that this policy is causing hardship and suffering for thousands of people across Britain.

A new director for Wales has been appointed by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). Helen Northmore, who is currently head of strategic projects development at the Energy Saving Trust, will take up her new role at the end of January.

A new chief executive has been appointed at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). Terrie Alafat, who is currently director of housing at the Department for Communities and Local Government in England, will take up her new role in mid-April.

Commenting on the homelessness figures in England for July to September 2014, released today, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “These figures continue to paint a disturbing picture of suffering for increasing numbers of vulnerable people.

Commenting on the Department for Social Development draft budget proposals for next year, published today, Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Northern Ireland director Nicola McCrudden said: “These are tough times and the department charged with the responsibility for tackling disadvantage and helping to improve lives will have to do so with £68.4m less (12.3%).

Commenting on today’s autumn statement, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: "We have long been of the view that our property tax system needs reforming to make it fit for purpose. The ‘slab’ system of stamp duty was very badly designed and as a result has been distorting house prices for many years, so we welcome the reforms announced today.

Responding to the launch of the National Infrastructure Plan 2014, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “CIH has been calling on the government to recognise housing as a critically important form of infrastructure for some time so its place in today’s plan is welcome. We’ve been failing to build the number of new homes we need for decades – the result is a housing crisis in which millions of people are being priced out of a decent home.

Responding to Prime Minister David Cameron's proposal for a four-year wait before EU migrants can be considered for social housing, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “The government’s own figures show that just four per cent of new social housing lettings in England in 2012-13 were to people from the European Union.

Commenting on the Smith Commission report on further devolution for Scotland, David Ogilvie, head of policy and public affairs at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland, said: "As we suggested in our submission to the commission, the Scottish Government will be given the power to vary or top up housing benefit, which means it will be able to give more support to people affected by the bedroom tax for example and help people out with the increasing cost of housing.

Commenting on the measures announced in today’s social housing strategy, Nicola McCrudden, Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) director in the Republic of Ireland, said: “With this strategy the Irish government is sending a clear message that housing is the biggest social issue in the country.

Commenting on today's house-building figures in England for July to September 2014, Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) chief executive Grainia Long said: "It's encouraging to see an eight per cent increase in the number of new homes built in the year to September. We not only need to keep that momentum up, we need to accelerate it – which makes the 10 per cent fall in new homes started in July to September compared to the previous quarter particularly worrying.

The chancellor should use next month’s autumn statement to increase support for private tenants at risk of becoming homeless, according to the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). CIH said the government should also review the right to buy scheme and consider removing stamp duty when older home owners who receive Pension Credit move to smaller properties, which would make downsizing more affordable for older people on low incomes and free up bigger homes for larger families.

Commenting on today's figures on the net supply of housing in England in 2013-14, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “It’s encouraging to see a 10% increase in the net supply of homes and in the number of new homes built.

Commenting on the Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin for April to June 2014, released today, Nicola McCrudden, Chartered Institute of Housing director for Northern Ireland, said: “We’re concerned that there has been a 10 per cent jump in the number of homeless households presenting to the Housing Executive since early 2013. The main reason is that more people are losing rented accommodation, mostly private rented, which indicates that welfare reform changes are already biting.

Speaking after the presentation to Housing Executive learners who have completed CIH certificates in housing practice and housing maintenance, CIH director for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Nicola McCrudden said: “At CIH we exist to promote professional standards in housing.

Commenting on the recommendations of the “Rent Stability in the Private Rented Sector” report commissioned by the Private Residential Tenancies Board, Nicola McCrudden, Chartered Institute of Housing director in the Republic of Ireland, said: “It is vital that the government does all it can to reduce unaffordable private rents, especially in Dublin. It’s also imperative that private tenants have consistent property standards.

Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and a member of the Lyons commission, said: "This report is a detailed blueprint for action on most of the main barriers to building 200,000 homes a year.

A new director for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland has been appointed by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). Annie Mauger will take on the new role of executive director of CIH’s national business units, which means she will oversee the organisation’s operations in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. She will be based in Edinburgh.

Commenting on the measures announced in today’s budget, Nicola McCrudden, Chartered Institute of Housing director in the Republic of Ireland, said: “The government has taken the first step along an ambitious path with its first post-bailout budget.

Commenting on the Scottish Budget announcement, David Ogilvie, head of policy and public affairs at the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland, said: "The additional £125 million for affordable housing is welcome – but it simply isn’t enough to deliver the new social rented homes that Scotland desperately needs.

Mortgage limits are a sensible measure to increase the financial resilience of the housing industry in Ireland, according to the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). But the organisation added that they could highlight affordability issues in Dublin where more homes are desperately needed.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has announced that its chief executive Grainia Long is to leave the organisation to become chief executive at the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), based in Dublin.

Commenting on George Osborne’s speech at the Conservative party conference today where he announced proposals to freeze working age benefits for two years, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “We are extremely concerned about this proposal, as it fails to reflect the reality of the housing crisis. We are not building enough homes, which means the cost of housing and therefore the housing benefit bill is going up.

Commenting on the homelessness figures for England for April to June 2014, Melanie Rees, policy services manager at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “While the number of people accepted as homeless fell very slightly compared to the same quarter last year, there is a disturbing picture of suffering for increasing numbers of vulnerable people behind that headline figure.

'Building as many homes as we need' was named as one of six priorities by Labour leader Ed Miliband in his speech at the party's annual conference today. Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: "We are currently building less than half the number of homes we need – the result is a housing crisis in which millions of people are being priced out of a decent home, whether that’s to rent or buy.

Commenting on the no vote in the Scottish independence referendum, David Ogilvie, head of policy and public affairs at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland, said: “This historic vote has huge implications not just for housing and welfare policy in Scotland, but for the economic environment in which we operate.

Shifting spending from housing benefit to house building and tackling low pay and unemployment is the best way of lifting people out of poverty and cutting the housing benefit bill, according to a new report.

Commenting on the government’s Housing Standards Review: Technical Consultation, Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) director of policy and practice Gavin Smart said:
“We currently build the smallest homes in Europe and our ageing population means that more and more properties will need to be adapted in order to meet older people’s needs.

A realistic and viable rate will be essential in building social homes through planning obligations – and lessons must be learned from other parts of the UK and Ireland, according to the Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland (CIH NI).

Commenting on the house-building figures for England for April to June 2014, Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) chief executive Grainia Long said: “It is encouraging to see an increase in the number of new homes started and completed in the year to June.

A new head of policy and public affairs has been appointed at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland. David Ogilvie, who has taken up his new role today (Monday 18 August), was previously policy manager at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA).

Using planning obligations to get more affordable homes built could work well in Northern Ireland – but lessons must be learned from other parts of the UK and Ireland, according to the Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland (CIH NI).

An interim director has been appointed by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland. Catherine Lowe, who is interim head of learning and development at CIH Scotland, will take up her new role at the end of August when current director Alan Ferguson steps down.

A new director of operations has been appointed by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). Julie Soutter, who is head of operations at the Technology Strategy Board, the UK government’s innovation agency, will take up her new role in September.

A new director for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland has been appointed by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). Nicola McCrudden, who is currently policy and communications manager at Northern Ireland housing advice charity Housing Rights Service, will take up her new role in early October.

Commenting on the Liberal Democrat calls for changes to the bedroom tax, Gavin Smart, director of policy and practice at the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “It’s been clear for some time that the bedroom tax is causing hardship and suffering for thousands of people across Great Britain.

Commenting on the latest Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin for January to March 2014, released today, Justin Cartwright, policy and public affairs officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland (CIH NI), said: “Social housing had its best year in a decade, but overall the figures paint a bleak picture for house-building in Northern Ireland as the crisis in housing continues.

Speaking at Housing 2014, CIH’s annual conference and exhibition in Manchester today (Thursday 26 June), Steve Stride urged the industry to make the most of its potential to tackle the housing crisis – and called for “a new urgency” from central and local government.

Headline homelessness figures are hiding a disturbing picture of increasing suffering, according to analysis from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). Although homelessness numbers have remained fairly stable over the past year, the numbers of people sleeping rough and living in temporary accommodation have both increased, as well as the number of repossessions by landlords.

Responding to the Altair report Cosmopolitan Housing Group: Lessons Learned, Grainia Long, chief executive at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: "The eventual rescue of Cosmopolitan marked a successful resolution to a critically important period for the housing association sector.

Commenting on the first Help to Buy mortgage guarantee statistics released today, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “While it is encouraging to see that 80% of the purchases supported by Help to Buy mortgage guarantees were by first-time buyers, we still have concerns about this scheme.

Commenting on today's launch of the London Rental Standard, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “With more and more people living in the private rented sector – including more older people, more families with children and more vulnerable people from the housing waiting list – it’s vital that we look carefully at new ways to raise standards.

Steve Stride has today been appointed President of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) following the organisation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). Steve, who is chief executive of housing association Poplar HARCA and has been CIH Vice President for the past 12 months, takes over the role from Paul Tennant.

The Scottish Housing Regulator’s long awaited report on the housing options approach is an important contribution to building a picture of the challenges facing councils and their partners in implementing Scotland’s pioneering homelessness legislation, according to CIH Scotland.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has announced that its deputy chief executive and director of operations Jeff James is to leave the organisation to take up the role of chief executive at The National Archives.

CIH Scotland says it is extremely disappointed by the Housing Minister's decision to drop Section 5 of the Housing Bill, which would have lifted the prohibition on taking age into account in allocations.

Commenting on the latest Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin for October to December 2013, Justin Cartwright, policy and public affairs officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland (CIH NI), said: “The number of new homes being started has fallen to the lowest point since the housing market crash, as the crisis in housing deepens.

Welfare reform is driving poorer families out of the private rented sector in parts of London according to new analysis from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). In Kensington & Chelsea, the number of people claiming housing benefit in the private rented sector has fallen by more than a quarter since March 2011 and in Westminster by nearly a third.

One of the biggest housing providers in the UK has signed up to a new corporate partnership with the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). The two-year deal will see CIH providing membership, qualifications, training and development and business advisory services for Home Group, which is the fourth biggest housing provider in the UK.

A third of private rented homes in England are failing decency standards according to a new report. Thirty-three per cent of the country’s private rented homes would have failed the government’s Decent Homes Standard (the test for social housing introduced in 2000) in 2012, according to analysis in the Chartered Institute of Housing’s (CIH) UK Housing Review 2014, which is being launched today.

House prices paid by first-time buyers across the UK have more than doubled since 2001, according to a new report. The average first-time buyer price rose by 120 per cent from £85,021 in 2001 to £189,668 in 2013, according to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s (CIH) UK Housing Review 2014.

Politicians must take a longer term view of housing if they want to make a real difference to the number of homes being built, according to Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) chief executive Grainia Long.

Whilst the Scottish Government has gone a long way to cover the cost of the bedroom tax in 2014/15, it has not given tenants and landlords clear advice about whether or not the liability should be paid, according to CIH Scotland.

Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) members have elected Geraldine Howley as the organisation’s new Vice President. Mrs Howley, who is chief executive of Bradford-based housing group Incommunities, was up against Elaine Gibson, director of Ayrshire housing association ANCHO, and Jim Strang, chief executive of Parkhead Housing Association in Glasgow.

Commenting on the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s report on support for housing costs in the reformed welfare system, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “It is clear that the committee has considered the evidence submitted by CIH and organisations that work with the people worst affected by welfare reform very carefully – we hope the government takes its recommendations equally seriously.”

A major new survey has concluded that the thousands of jobs and training opportunities created through housing investment has largely been 'below economic radar', according to the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru.

Commenting on the measures announced in today’s Budget, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “Historically we know that small and medium sized builders have played a critical part in delivering new homes.

The Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru has joined forces with six partner organisations to assert our support for the proposed national and mandatory registration and licensing scheme, to better regulate private landlords, letting and management agents in Wales.

Major areas of uncertainty make it difficult to assess likely levels of public expenditure under either Referendum outcome, according to the first of a series of new reports on the Referendum implications from the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland.

Social landlords have allowed tenants to disconnect from their contractual responsibility to pay rent, according to CIH Scotland Chair Elaine Gibson. Opening CIH Scotland’s Annual Conference and Exhibition at the SECC in Glasgow today, Ms Gibson will say that the housing benefit system has meant landlords have come to rely on an assured source of income, with payments arriving for little effort expended.